Art glass displays have existed for centuries. Among the earliest forms of this type of art were stained glass windows made famous, for example, in the medieval cathedrals of Europe. Originally, art glass displays were fabricated by placing solder between the edges of adjacent pieces of art glass. As the solder cooled, the pieces of art glass were retained in fixed relationship to one another. With stained or colored art glass, the glass was 1/8" rolled glass.
Over the centuries, art glass was incorporated into the building of homes, especially those associated with the Victorian era. For the purposes of this invention, art glass refers to sheet glass which is tinted or colored, as well as to glass which may have a textured surface as opposed to just a smooth one, or to glass which is bevelled.
Furthermore, during the Victorian era, the use of bevelled glass came into vogue. Consequently, many ornate Victorian homes incorporated at least one, if not all three, embodiments of art glass. However, due to the nature of bevelling, it was not done on glass as thin as 1/8". Instead, glass that was at least 3/16" thick was used.
With the passing of time, there were improvements associated with the manufacture of art glass displays. The first improvement came along as the various pieces of art glass were cut so as to have straight edges, thus allowing the use of cames between the edges of adjacent pieces of art glass. Cames originally were elongated pieces of metal provided with channels on their opposite sides, into which channels the adjacent pieces of glass would fit.
Over the past couple of decades there has been an increase in the desire to incorporate the use of art glass in the construction of homes and furniture. Consequently, home builders and furniture manufacturers have responded to this demand by providing numerous products which feature art glass. This increased demand has resulted in a market for insulated glass products in North America of 90 million per year. These products include table tops, wall decorations, and art glass windows provided in both doors and as stand-alone window units. The bevelled art glass typically used in these applications still remains at least 1/16" thick.
Concerns over the structural integrity of art glass windows, specifically their air tightness and breakability, prompted fabricators of art glass displays to place a sheet of protective glass or plastic adjacent the art glass display sheet. Typically, this protective sheet, in the case of doors or windows, is on the outside of the door or window to be protected. However, this "improvement" significantly increased the cost of such displays, in addition to significantly increasing their weight.
In an attempt to solve the above problems, cames were developed which were lighter in weight. These cames could be made from extruded sheet-metal profiles, such as aluminum, or from plastic, and attached to connecting elements, which connecting elements retained a plurality of cames in the framework of the display. However, the weight of the finished art glass display could cause the assemblage of cames to fail structurally. To provide additional support for the framework holding the art glass, one solution engaged in by some artisans was to incorporate a second sheet of glass into the display, such that the art glass in its framework was sandwiched between the protective sheets. Unfortunately, although this solution enhanced the insulative capabilities of the window, not to mention aiding in the support of the art glass, it greatly increased the weight of the total display, not to mention the cost.
An alternative solution was proffered whereby the presence of art glass adjacent to the cames was eliminated, resulting in an artistic-looking came framework placed adjacent a sheet of glass. Unfortunately, the aesthetics associated with having glass in the framework had to be sacrificed. Moreover, since this "improvement" would sometimes result in a came framework which could become detached from itself, some manufacturers added a second piece of glass to the display, such that the empty came framework was effectively sandwiched between the two sheets of glass. Once again, there were the problems with weight and cost.
From the foregoing discussion it can be appreciated that current art glass displays are very expensive, and that they are made even more so if dual-pane construction is used. It is thus apparent that the need exists for an improved art glass display featuring dual-pane construction.